About a week ago, Gerard Healy floated the idea of Patrick Cripps undergoing a positional change.
The 1988 Brownlow Medallist believes the Carlton co-captain would be of great benefit to his side if he were to be deployed as a forward who can help out in the ruck.
Cripps has made his name as a combative contested midfielder over the course of his 130-game career which has delivered him a plethora of individual accolades.
The form of the 26-year-old has been called into question over the past year and a half, with his numbers in key stats categories falling away since his AFLPA MVP, All-Australian and John Nicholls Medal year of 2019.
Healy feels he has found a solution for the Blues skipper.
“I tell you what I’d do with Cripps,” Healy said on Sportsday.
“He’s a midfielder that’s being exposed in defence, I’d make him a ruckman. I’d have him as a ruck/forward.
“I am absolutely serious.
“Don’t tell me that Patrick Cripps couldn’t turn himself (into that).
“I think Cripps can become a forward who goes into the ruck and bolsters the midfield.
“He could do the Dusty (Martin) role. He could just go midfield (then) forward, but he needs someone backing him up if he did that, like Kane Lambert, to stop him being a liability in defence.”
This week, Healy revisited that notion when recently departed Blues assistant coach John Barker was a guest on the program.
Healy doubled down on his idea, saying: “We all know where he’s come from, we all know his status in the game, but his last 18 months for whatever reason he’s backed off.
“Struggles to get back into defence, which is part and parcel of one of the (side’s) problems.”
Healy sees Cripps sliding into the role that Levi Casboult has held in recent years.
He continued: “My question to you is simply this - Can he be a forward/ruckman?
“Because if he can be, you add to your mobility because you stick a more mobile Patty Cripps in and Patty Cripps is a much more mobile ruckman. Having said, that I think (Tom) De Koning is going to be a generational talent.
“But could he be a replacement for Casboult as a forward who can go in and pinch-hit in the ruck?”
In response, Barker suggested it wasn’t the craziest idea, but feels perhaps right now is a slightly premature time to try.
“You’re obviously a very smart football person and to be honest with you, there’s a lot about what you said just then that makes sense,” Barker replied to Healy.
“The only problem is, he’s still an unbelievable contest player and still one of the best in the game.
“There’s obviously been a number of conversations around him playing not quite at 100 per cent. I’ve got to tell you, he’s one of the most courageous players I’ve seen up close and personal.”
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Healy asked if we will see the “old midfield contested beast” Cripps back to his absolute best once he rids himself of injury and returns to 100 per cent playing capacity.
“I think so,” Barker added.
“There’s not too many around the contest that can impact the contest like he can once he gets his confidence back up.
“There’s no doubt he can go forward and catch it and have some massive impact. I will say this, some of his defensive action over the last five or six weeks has actually been pretty good. Every payer is going to have some breakdowns but he is working as hard as anyone at trying to defend.”
Following their bye, Cripps and the Blues are back in action in Round 14 against GWS at Giants Stadium on Saturday night.